Shakhtar Donetsk 0 - 1 Sporting Lisbon

Liedson pinches it

Sporting Lisbon stole all three points as they survived a barrage of attacks from Shakhtar Donetsk to win the Champions League Group C encounter 1-0, Soccernet ESPN reported.

The Ukrainian side dominated the game from start to finish, but they were made to pay for their inability to score when Liedson finished with Sporting`s first shot on target after 75 minutes.

Having lost to two late goals at home to Barcelona last time out in the Champions League, Shakhtar were looking to learn from their mistakes against the Portuguese runners-up.

But it was a case of lightening striking twice as, having dominated throughout, they were again undone by a late goal against the run of play.

In a scrappy game, Shakhtar were the ones who always looked most likely to take the lead from the time Marcelo Moreno forced a save from Rui Patricio with a shot from long range after six minutes.

They would have to wait another 12 minutes for their next attempt on goal however, while at the other end the Portuguese side were struggling to find their range as Fabio Rochemback fired a pair of chances wide of the mark.

But after a low-key opening 20 minutes, the hosts started to find their footing in the game as Moreno tested the Sporting keeper again from range after 24 minutes before hitting the post on the half-hour mark.

Marat Izmailov was next to try his luck after 34 minutes as the home side upped their efforts to take the lead before the break, but despite their dominance the Ukrainians were unable to find a way through.

Shakhtar began the second half as they ended the first and had their guests on the ropes right from the start.

Moreno should have put his side ahead a minute and a half after the restart with a header inside the six-yard box which he somehow managed to send wide of the left-hand post.

Evaeyerson Brandao gave the hosts a similar let-off after 58 minutes when he too headed wide of the target after getting on the end of Dario Srna`s cross.

Sporting looked to be hanging on for dear life at this point, as Jadson tested Rui Patricio with a well-taken free-kick on the hour mark.

Razvan Rat and Igor Duljaj were next to go close as a Shakhtar goal started to look more and more likely.

But just as they did last time out in the Champions League, the Ukrainians failed to make their dominance count and they were punished when Sporting`s top-scorer in Europe, Liedson, put his side ahead with their first shot on target.

After Sporting won a free-kick against the run of play with 15 minutes left to play, Rochemback played the ball to Vanderlei Derlei who cleverly back-heeled it to Liedson who in turn fired in a shot from 18 yards.

Willian da Silva tried to put the hosts back on level terms immediately with a shot from 35 yards that was caught by Rui Patricio.

He tried again from range as the game entered the final minute, but by this point it was too late and Shakhtar were left to rue a host of missed chances again.